


A Gift Can Be a Curse

by shylittlerae



Category: Voltron Legenday Defender
Genre: Ella Enchanted AU, F/M, Fairy Allura, Hunk is an elf, I don’t know how to tag stuff, M/M, Obedient Keith, Prince Lance - Freeform, Shiro is a motherfucking book, Voltron, excuse my language, vaguely
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-11-12
Updated: 2018-02-03
Packaged: 2019-02-01 12:28:59
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,066
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12705006
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shylittlerae/pseuds/shylittlerae
Summary: When Keith is a baby, he is given the gift of obedience by his fairy godparent Coran.  However, this gift proves to be more of a curse, as it forces him to do whatever he is told.  All his life he has had to bare through it, but when it causes him to do something terrible, he embarks on a journey to undo the spell, along with some unwanted company.—Ella Enchanted AU.  This is going to be loosely based off the movie adaptation which is very loosely based off the book.  Basic plot of the movie, but some things will be changed.





	1. The Curse Begins

**Author's Note:**

> I watched this movie and I suddenly had the urge to write a Klance fanfic about it. So here it is.
> 
> Just a heads up to anyone who’s never seen Ella Enchanted, it’s a medieval setting with a modern twist.
> 
> For example: there are medieval boy bands and a medieval high school etc.

Keith knew for a while that there was something off about himself. He wasn’t sure what came over him, but whenever someone asked him to do something, he couldn’t help but obey. The common use of idioms always made for an interesting sight. In fact, Keith fondly remembered once being told, “bite me,” by a girl once. Keith chuckled at the thought of her shocked face when he actually did it.

On Keith’s fifteenth birthday his mother finally told him about his gift. At least that’s what his fairy godparent Coran had called it. There was a different word his mother used.

______

Keith’s mother held him close in her arms as she explained the gift. As she explained, Keith finally understood why he did the things he did.

“I always knew there was something wrong with me,” he said. He turned to the other woman in the room. She had her hand on his shoulder in an attempt to comfort him. “Can’t you take the spell back, Allura, you’re a fairy.

Allura sorrowed, “I’m a household fairy.” she explained. “Besides, only the fairy who gave you the gift can take it back.” Allura had been there when the spell was cast, and she had tried many times to reverse it, but her magic served to be too weak against the bond.

Keith’s mother nodded solemnly. “Believe us, we begged him to take it back,” she said, “but he’s not so easily swayed.”

“Not only that,” Allura added, “but he threatened to turn us into squirrels and take away my eternal youth if we ever asked again. I love him, but he’s extremely stubborn, and he rarely listens to reason.”

Nothing they were saying made sense. How could his own fairy godparent give him such a terrible curse as a gift? How could he not see all the troubles it brought him?

“It’s not fair.”

“I know, sweetheart, I know.” His mother kissed his forehead and squeezed him tightly. It didn’t comfort him.

______

As time went by, Keith tried to find loopholes. What if someone told him to stop obeying? Well, his mother once tried, but it resulted in her almost being decapitated by a stray bolt of magic. It was as if the curse knew they were trying to get rid of it and became angry. Keith mentally crossed that attempt off the list.

From then on, he told himself as long as he had his mother and Allura, everything would be okay. Fate seemed to have different plans for him, however, because his mother died before the end of that year. He remembered holding her hand, as he begged whoever may be listening to stop her death. His mother chuckled as if something about it seemed amusing to her. He realized it was her way of telling Keith that it was okay.

“Keith, you must listen to me. Only Allura and I know about the gift. We never even told your father. And you can never tell anyone else, I don’t want anyone to use it against you.” Keith felt his body straighten suddenly as he felt the spell take over.

“Mother, please.”

“No matter what anyone says or tells you to do, look to yourself, Keith. What’s inside you is stronger than any spell.” Keith felt his eyes burn with tears. He didn’t even notice when the door burst open and Allura came in with his father. He couldn’t take his eyes off of his mother. She held out a shaky hand for him to hold, and he immediately took it. “I want you to take my dagger. Use it for protection, and with it, I’ll always be with you.”

Keith looked up to his father. His face hadn’t changed, so Keith nodded. “Okay.” A tear fell down his cheek. In the next few moments, his mother passed.

______

Keith stood in front of his vanity mirror observing his appearance. He wore a red shirt, black pants, and boots and he had a large brown belt wrapped around his waist. Good enough, he thought.

Suddenly the door opened to reveal Allura. “Your father would like to speak to you.” She was in and out before Keith could even acknowledge her. He wondered what was so urgent. He sighed, and grabbed his mother’s dagger off his dresser, glanced at it for just a moment, and placed it back down. He really wished she was still here.

He felt like he had probably kept his father waiting long enough, so he placed the dagger inside his satchel for later and made his way downstairs. 

______

“You’re married?!” Keith shot up from his seat, baffled at the thought of his father being remarried. 

“She has money, Keith, and she’s very fond of my title. It was either get married or sell the house.” Keith stood in silent bewilderment before slowly sitting down. There was no reason to lash out, it wouldn’t change anything.

“You’ll adore Dame Luxia. And her two daughters,” his father insisted. Keith doubted it. “She’ll make a wonderful mother.” The comment had Keith’s eyes wide. “Well mother-like figure, his father backpedaled.

Keith forgave his father’s words, but he couldn’t possibly learn to get along with these people. “Two girls?”

“Yes, and there about your age, too.” He must have noticed Keith’s repulsed face because he added, “I’m sure you’ll all be the best of friends.” 

Keith gave a small smile. He had to give his father credit for trying. Had he not know his father’s reasoning, however, he could have imagined that this conversation might have ended differently. 

As his father had informed him, Dame Luxia and her two daughters, Florona and Plaxum would arrive later that day. In that time, Keith tried to enjoy every last second he could before his life surely became a living hell. A large majority of that time was spent practicing fighting with Allura while he divulged upon his worries.

Keith had been reading a book when he noticed his father going to get the door. Keith placed his book down and followed him. His father had told him to make a good impression, so he paused, took a deep breath, and continued toward the door.

“My dear,” his father said as he kissed the cheeks of the woman he greeted. Keith assumed that was Dame Luxia. “And these must be your daughters?”

“Ah yes,” Dame Luxia said, “my precious Florona,” the taller of the two girls with flaming red locks curtsied, “and my special Plaxum.” The second daughter, who wore a blue dress and her brown hair pulled back, frowned but curtsied just as her sister had.

When Luxia turned back to Keith’s father, she jumped slightly. Keith had made his way to stand beside him while she was turned around. “Oh, and you must be Keith?”

“Nice to meet you,” he replied, with the kindest smile he could manage.

Luxia ignored the greeting, and she instead decided to comment on the house. Keith didn’t take it too personally and decided to greet the girls. However, he couldn’t help but notice the Dame’s distaste. “—but if I remember correctly, you said you lived in a castle,” Keith noticed Plaxum visible cringe.

“No, I said a man’s house is his castle,” his father replied.

He turned back to the girls. “I’m Keith,” he said to them and bowed his head, “nice to meet you.” Plaxum curtsied, but Florona seemed disinterested. “Let me help you with your bags.”

Once all of the bags had been brought to the former guest room, the girls wasted no time in decorating. Specifically, Florona who was putting up numerous posters of the kingdom’s prince.

“What’s with all the prince pin-ups?” Keith questioned. 

Plaxum stepped in, “Florona is the president of the Prince Lance fan club.” The two fist bumped.

Keith rolled his eyes. “You do know Lance and his aunt are responsible for the segregation of the kingdom, right?”

Florona looked unfazed, “So? He’s gorgeous,”

Keith chuckled. “That’s it? That’s your reasoning?”

Florona glanced at Plaxum and then back at Keith. “Of course you wouldn’t understand, Keith.” She wandered over to the cupboard at the side of the room and scoffed. “Do you expect our clothes to fit in here?”

Keith wasn’t shocked by the accusatory tone of her voice. He was quickly learning her personality, and in a way, he was becoming more able to predict what she’d do or say.

“We’re going to have to use yours,” Florona declared nonchalantly.

Keith had to admit he didn’t expect that. Though he knew he should have. “You can’t use my closet.”

“Oh come on, show it to us.” And that was all it took. Keith’s body stiffened abruptly, adhering to the curse. He couldn’t believe he was actually about to give up his closet because Florona told him to. Unable to restrain himself, he lead the girls to his room without a second thought, though he could imagine their quizzical expressions as he did.

As Florona and Plaxum walked into his room, they didn’t seem too impressed. In fact, quite the opposite. “It’s quite quaint, don't you think Plaxum?”

Plaxum nodded. “Indeed, Florona.” 

Keith stood obediently by his closet, but while he waited, he couldn’t help but wonder what would happen if Florona accidentally fell out the second story window. He pushed the thought away as the name in mind sauntered over to him. 

She gave the closet a quick scan. “We’re going to have to take out some of your things to make room,” Florona stated. She swiftly reached into his closet and began removing his clothes. 

“Hey, get away from there.” Keith demanded, attempting to take the clothes from her hands. 

“You get away.”

Keith immediately obeyed, taking a large step away from her. The action received a puzzled look from Florona as well as Plaxum.

“Well aren’t you accommodating?” The two girls snickered, but Keith got a terrible feeling in his gut.

______

Keith helped his father pack the last of his watches. Ever since his mother died, his father had reduced himself to being a land-to-land salesman. It wasn’t a hard job, but it wasn’t a fun job either. The worst part is that Keith hardly saw his father due to it.

“I’ll be back as soon as I sell the last of these, I promise,” his father told him. Keith hugged him tightly. This would be the first time he would leave since Dame Luxia and her daughters moved in, and he wasn’t ready to let him leave.

“I’ll miss you, father.”

“I’ll miss you, too.”

His father took his case of watches and was on his way. Keith watched from the living room window as the carriage rode off. He could do this. He didn’t need his father for protection. Besides Allura would be there to help him. She was the one who knew about the curse after all. 

His thoughts were cut short when he overheard Florona and Plaxum talking about him from upstairs, laughing every so often. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. “Please, don’t be long.”


	2. Talk of Princes and Princesses

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This took a lot longer to post than it should have. To be honest, this chapter has been finished for a while but finding the time to clean it up and post it was proving to be difficult. But it's finally finished, so here you go. Thank you for sticking with me.

Keith couldn’t express how much he loathed having sisters. From dusk till dawn, all he ever heard from their mouths was Prince Lance this and Prince Lance that. It often lead to Keith sneaking out of the house to visit his friend Pidge. Although she was female by definition, she never forced Keith to listen to long spiels about celebrity crushes like Florona and Plaxum did. For that, Keith was thankful. Instead, they shared conspiracy theories.

So far they’ve concluded that Queen Honerva’s cat is definitely evil, there’s a giant moth-like man that lurks in the forest, and king Alfor definitely didn’t die in the hands of ogres like king Zarkon claims he did.

“How do you think he died, then?” Pidge questioned. She laid on her back, horizontally across her bed, letting her head hang off the side. She craned her neck to get a better view of Keith who sat on the floor, back against the wall.

“My money’s on Zarkon and Honerva. Alford’s death seems a little too convenient for them to be a coincidence.”

Pidge let out an overdramatic gasp as she turned onto her stomach. “You think Zarkon killed his own brother?” she whispered. Keith couldn’t help but laugh at the comedic way she stretched her body in an attempt to lean closer to him like she was trying to keep a secret. Pidge grinned in response. 

“Seriously though. It’s a likely possibility,” Keith mentioned nonchalantly. It was only for a moment but he noticed a shiver run down Pidge’s spine. 

“That’s kind of unsettling,” she admitted. 

“What? That the king might be a psychopathic brother killer?”

“Stop sounding blasé about it.”

“Come on, Pidge, doesn’t it seem obvious. He’s probably the reason for the princess's disappearance, too.” It was out of Keith’s mouth before he could think better of it. The two went silent.

The princess had been in the public’s eye for only a year before she “went missing.” In actuality, she wasn’t technically in the “public’s eye” at all. Some people heard that the King had had a daughter, but as time passed by she stopped being mentioned. If anyone ever brought her up, they almost could convince themselves that she never even existed at all; simply someone they invented once upon a time in their minds.

Pidge was the one who broke the silence, though she seemed hesitant to do so. “Do—do you think she’s still out there?” Keith was beginning to think there was another conspiracy to be added to the list.

“I think—”

“Keith, are you in here?” Allura was standing at the end of Pidge’s room, her hand still clutching the door handle. Once she noticed Keith she made an attempt to compose herself, that is before she completely went off the hinges. She gave Pidge a quick apology in advance. “Do you know how long you’ve been gone. Not only that, unlike you, I can’t leave whenever I want. I have to stay and listen to their nagging. Oh dearest Lion Goddess, the nagging. I swear, they’re such—” Allura stopped herself, clearly finding it inappropriate for her to continue.

“Say it” Keith dared. 

Allura easily took the bait. “Stuck up bitches.” She let out a breath of relief. “It felt great to say that!”

Suddenly, the sound of a sedated clapping filled the room. It was Pidge. Her clapping then shifted to a faster pace. She looked at Allura as if she had just single-handedly saved a dying planet.

“I never thought I’d live to see the day,” Keith teased, “well done.”

Keith could tell from Allura’s expression that it took a moment for her to register his complement behind the mocking, but once she had, she smiled and curtseyed.

“Thank you, kind sir.” A bubble of laughter mixed within her words. “Now let’s go home.”

Keith obeyed her words, though he would have regardless of his curse. “See you later, Pidge.” He waved to her, then followed Allura home. 

______

“Why do you always do what she says?” Pidge asked. Somehow she sounded direct and managed to give off a tone of concern. 

Keith shouldn’t have been surprised, yet he still felt sick to his stomach hearing Pidge’s question. 

“I don’t,” he said, trying to sound convincing. Pidge’s expression proved that he wasn’t.

“You grabbed your tongue because she told you to, Keith. The teacher made you forfeit the debate for crying out loud.”

He didn’t know how to respond to that. She was right after all. He did do whatever Florona asked of him, but then again he did that for everyone. Pidge didn’t know that though. It was the worst feeling ever to know that he couldn’t even tell his best friend of his curse. Of all the people he knew, Keith wished more than life, that Pidge new the truth.

“You can tell me anything, you know that right?”

“I know and I—” Before Keith could finish, he was cut off by the sound of a shrill scream coming from his stepsister in question. The sound was usually reserved for murder, but, to Keith’s dismay, this wasn’t the case.

The two turned to find a hoard of girls grouped together, Florona appearing to wrangle them up. She was making some announcement. “Alright, girls. I’ve been informed that the king and queen are visiting for the grand opening of the Galleria,” she said. The girls’ faces showed that they couldn’t care less about this, and clearly neither did Florona. “And…” she said elongated, “Prince Lance is coming with them.” They all cheered. Some reasonable. Others not so much. 

Pidge held her fingers to her ears. “They could shatter glass screaming like that.” Keith agreed. 

If he were being completely honest though, he could see why they all were so obsessed with him. He was a prince after all. Not to mention that he was an attractive one, Keith couldn’t dispute that. In fact, he doesn’t really mind the posters of him he finds all over his home. Sometimes he finds himself admiring his tan skin or his full lips or… his eyes. His captivating, blue eyes. He began to wonder what the sound of his voice was like. 

“Keith.”

And the spell was broken. Keith blinked rapidly as Pidge’s hand waved a mere inch from his face. “Earth to Keith.” Something told him she had called his name more than once.

“What?”

“You were spacing out quite a bit. Are you okay?”

“I’m fine. I was just… thinking is all.”

Pidge quirked an eyebrow. “If you say so.”

***

The carriage ride was quite bumpy Lance noted. He was attempting to read a magazine, but it was difficult to tell what anything said when the words were a blurred mess. Good thing he was only looking at the pictures anyway.

“Uncle, do I really have to attend this mall opening?” he asked suddenly.

His uncle, Zarkon, looked over at him with a sinister look. Lance was used to the expression. It was simply his uncle’s face. Regardless, he still felt unease whenever Zarkon’s gaze was upon him. “As heir to the throne,” his uncle said, “it’s your royal responsibility. You’re a public figure after all.”

“I know that, but you’re the one in charge.” He tried to sound playful, but he doubted it came across that way. 

“Only for a little while longer. Your coronation is next week. You have to be out there with the people, Lance.” His uncle sounded as if he was annoyed. Lance wondered if it was his fault, or if his uncle just woke up on the wrong side of the bed.

“Yes,” his aunt Honerva butted in, “shaking hands and kissing babies, so people will learn to trust us.”

“What’s not to trust?” Lance questioned.

“Nothing, dearest,” Honerva assured him. “But while you’ve been away at school, Lance, the kingdom has been under siege. In your absence, the ogres have become impossible.” As she spoke, Honerva stroked the back of her cat. Lance could feel the slight vibration of Kova’s purrs. “Even the giants have become more and more treacherous,” Hornerva finished. His uncle huffed as if agreeing.

Lance was shocked. “But the giants have always been peaceful,” he stated swiftly.

“So were the ogres,” Zarkon mentioned, “before they tore your father to shreds.” He wondered how it was possible for him to have a smile on his face when he talked about the death of his own brother, but somehow he had. Zarkon cleared his throat, “We promised your father that we’d look after you and the kingdom, and we’ve kept our promise. Likewise, you must keep your promise to the people.”

Honerva squeezed Lance’s cheeks with her open hand and pushed upwards. “Now smile,” she said, “image is everything.” He forced an are-you-happy-now smile. “Was that so hard?” The ride from then on was silent, save for when Honerva reminded Lance to smile.

Once they reached the grounds for the Galleria, Lance’s aunt and uncle took their place on stage as he took his place behind it. He could hear the crowd cheering. “Thank you,” his uncle announced, “it is wonderful to be here in your charming town.” Lance could admit his uncle didn’t sound that convincing, but he wasn't sure anyone actually cared. “Prince Lance and I—”

Whatever he was about to say was lost behind the sudden eruption of chanting, “We want Lance. We want Lance.” Lance didn’t particularly care for all his “adoring fans” but he had to admit, he liked the praise.

“Without further ado, Prince Lance.”

Lance smiled and waved as he stepped up onto the stage. However, his smile dropped when he noticed two people standing on the fountain ledge, as they held up signs in protest. One was a short girl. She wore a green dress and her auburn hair hung at her shoulders. Lance was amused when he noticed that the scroll she was holding was nearly as long as her and she wore circular frames that took up most of her face. She stood next to a boy, who held his own sign. But wait, did he have… a mullet? Lance squinted at him. He definitely had a mullet. But, he couldn’t help but notice that he made it work. Probably because of his cute face. Okay no. Not cute. That’s not what he seriously just thought. He shook it off and focused on the crowd’s praise instead.

Okay, just one look. But when Lance looked back at the boy, he had disappeared. He only saw his friend, looking distraught. 

“Hey, Prince Lance?” a girl in the crowd called. Lance directed his attention to her. “Are you a fast runner?” The question was odd, but Lance didn’t think much of it. He wouldn’t say he was slow but he never timed himself to see. He probably fell somewhere in between.

“Not particularly, no. Why?” 

The girl’s face lit up. “Get him!” 

Lance’s eyes widen. Oh dear, Lion goddess.

***

Keith couldn’t believe he did it again. If Pidge had any belief that he didn’t always do what Florona told him, it was gone now. One minute he was holding up his sign in protest, and then—

“Go home.”

That’s all she had said and like always, Keith obeyed. He had given Pidge a rushed apology and then left just as quickly. The hurt and confusion in her eyes killed him, but he couldn’t force himself stay.

As an attempt to spite the curse, he took the long way home. There was nothing that said he couldn’t take his time. It wasn’t like he wanted to see Dame Luxia anytime soon, anyway.

He didn’t think much about it when suddenly a body was colliding into his. “Ow!” was all he got out before a tan hand was covering his mouth and he was being dragged down behind a small stone wall. Keith was confused, but before he had the chance to fight off his attacker, a stampede of girls ran past them. He tried to say something but the hand remained over his mouth. Keith pushed the hand away. As he did so, he caught a glimpse of the Prince’s face. “Prince Lance,” Keith acknowledged stoically. 

“Please, just call me—” the two meet each other’s eyes, and for a moment everything was silent. Keith knew it was probably only for a second, but he felt as though Lance’s expression became that of a titillating one. “Call me Lance.” Keith rolled his eyes deciding he’d had enough. As he went to stand, Lance raced to help him. “Allow me.”

“I don’t need your chivalry, thanks. And I have no intention of bowing either, so forget it. Keith dusted his hands on his pants and stormed away. Unfortunately, Lance followed him.

“You can bow or not, that’s your choice, there’s really nothing I can do about it. Except, you know, have you beheaded. But that seems a bit extreme, don’t you think?”

“Charming.” Keith knew the prince was joking, but he couldn’t stop himself from saying, “Why don’t you go do what your people usually do: steal my land and destroy my livelihood. Now if you’ll excuse me.”

“Wait a second. Come back here.” Lance had stopped a few paces back. He waited for Keith as he inevitably walked back over to him.

“Yes?”

“What is your name?” Keith was surprised by the question. 

“Keith. Keith Kogane,” he replied hesitantly.

“Well, Keith Kogane, you’re the first person who hasn’t become enamored at the sight of me.”

He rolled his eyes and looked Lance up and down. “Well then maybe I’ve done you some good,” he huffed. He turned to head home again, but Lance proved he wasn’t one to give up that easily. 

“Look, I haven’t taken anyone’s land or livelihood!” he objected, “I want peace in the kingdom as much as anyone.”

“So you have a new plan once you take the crown?” Keith asked, putting him on the spot. That seemed to shut him up.

Lance was silent for a moment. “Well… sort of. I… of course I wouldn’t be able to reveal it to a subject.”

Keith crossed his arms. “That’s what I thought. You’re all just the same. You care more about your fan club and your next jousting tournament.”

“Actually, no, I’ve never really been entirely comfortable with the whole adoring fan club thing,” he admitted sheepishly, “perhaps that’s why I find your obvious destain for me so refreshing.” His lips quirked into a sly grin, and Keith ignored the flips he felt in his stomach.

“Obvious? And I was trying so hard to hide it.” Keith took approximately three steps when he noticed something. “Where’s my satchel?” He took a deep breath in as he tried really hard to keep his composure. “You must have knocked it off when you pulled me down,” he stated to Lance.

Keith was about to go back for it when Prince Lance, being the courteous prince he is, told him, “Wait right there, I’ll get it for you.” Keith huffed. Of all the places to be told to wait, Lance chose the middle of the road. Keith just loved being stuck where someone could come along and run him over.

As if someone cruel was listening to his thoughts, he heard the chopping of hooves against the dirt and the squeaking sound of loose, carriage wheels. “Uh, Prince Lance?” He tried to move his feet, but there was a force like glue preventing him from going anywhere.

Keith looked back at the carriage. An old woman was whipping the horse making it go faster. “Prince Lance!” No answer. No Prince Lance. Just the sound of the horse and carriage as it quickly approached him. He looked back seeing that he was practically face-to-face with the horse. “Oh, Lion Goddess,” he prayed aloud to himself. 

Keith suddenly felt his feet being released from the ground as someone pushed him out of the way. He felt their body pressed against his as they both fell to the grass. Keith kept his eyes clenched shut until he could only hear the horse and carriage faintly in the distance. When he opened them, he found Lance’s blue eyes staring down at him in concern. “Are you crazy, why didn’t you move out of the way?” he said briskly.

“I would have,’’ Keith paused, “Were it not for your apparent fascination with knocking me to the ground.” Keith pushed Lance off of him. “You do realize that’s the second time today.” The excuse wasn’t very convincing, but Lance didn’t pry.

“Well, I’ll try to be more considerate the next time I’m saving you.”

“Next time? What makes you think we’ll see each other again?”

Lance’s voice softened. “Won’t we?” Keith almost believed that he genuinely wanted to see him again.

“No.” Keith tried to sound frank, but his tone was more disappointed.

“Keith!” A familiar voice called. Keith rolled his eyes. Of course he’d run into his sisters. Florona probably had a Lance tracker. “Come here!” Florona demanded.

Keith stood up and approached her. “Yes, dearest sister?” he spoke flatly. 

Florona scoffed. “Stop flirting with him.” Keith didn’t say anything, but the blush on his face was probably enough to confirm her suspicions. “If he’s going to be with someone it’s going to be me. Now, go back to the mall with Plaxum.” Plaxum made a cry of protest and Florona glared at her.

Keith turned away and marched back to the Galleria. Plaxum followed behind him, probably just as angry.

“Keith,” Lance called, but Keith kept walking.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The next chapter is already in the works, so be on the look out for that.


	3. What is a Fairy Tale if Without Some Adventure?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't really have an excuse for why this took me so long. I guess I just was busy, and whenever I wasn't busy I lacked motivation. But it's here. Finally here.
> 
> My writing sucks and rereading it just makes me want to rewrite everything, so before I make any drastic changes I'm just going to throw this chapter at you guys.
> 
> Hope you enjoy!
> 
> PS: Lance doesn't show up in this chapter. Sorry, but I had a lot of plot to build up and this chapter was getting pretty lengthy as is. Next chapter I swear will get the ball rolling.

When Keith came home from the mall, his clothes were drenched in wine and he had been fined for stealing a pair of glass slippers. Dame Luxia appeared to be disappointed, however, Keith was almost certain she was more than happy to scold him.

“A felon? In my own family. I could die from embarrassment.”

Keith rolled his eyes. He heard Allura mumble something behind him but willed himself not to look back at her.

Dame Luxia went on. “You are a disgrace,” she said accusingly.

“Maybe he was put up to it,” Allura budded in, this time loud and clear.

It was true. He had been put up to it. Not that Florona would ever admit—

“Allura’s right mother,” Florona piped in, “We were there.” Keith was almost shocked, but he knew better than to think Florona would give herself up. “It really wasn’t poor Keith’s fault at all. He was forced to do it,” she continued. 

Luxia’s interest seemed peaked. “So, who put you up to it?” She turned her back as she waited for a response. 

Keith was ready to tell her exactly who when Florona leaned in and whispered, “Tell her it was Pidge.”

“Pi—” Keith covered his mouth with his hand, stopping himself from saying his friend's name.

“I’m waiting. Tell me who’s to blame,” Luxia demanded.

Keith hesitated before answering reluctantly, “Pidge.”

“Pidge. I should have known.” Dame Luxia turned swiftly back to face Keith. “You are forbidden to ever see her again.”

“What?!”

Just as he said it, there was a knock on the door.

“Keith?” It was Pidge. 

Luxia frowned. “How dare she come here now. Tell her you never want to see her again.” Florona’s smile made him sick. 

Keith shot a worried look at Allura. She reached out to hold his hands in hopes to stop him as he walked closer to the door. “Dame Luxia, There must be some mistake,” she said.

“Please, Dame Luxia,” Keith begged.

“Don’t argue, just do it.”

With that, Keith broke from Allura’s hold and made his way to the front door where Pidge waited for him. As he opened the door, Pidge took no time to grasp his arms and look him over.

“Thank goodness you’re alright,” she said with a rare sincerity. Keith had expected her to comment on his deservedly hair or joke about how he looked like crap, but nothing came. If he was being honest, it actually made things harder.

He felt the tears well in his eyes as he shook his head softly.

“What’s wrong,” Pidge asked.

Keith felt a tear roll down his cheek. “I never want to see you again,” he choked out.

Pidge scoffed, “Very funny, Keith.” He looked up at her, and within seconds her face fell. “This doesn’t make sense, we’re best friends.”

Keith couldn’t say anything. He wanted to tell her that it was all some trick. He wanted to cry on her shoulder and tell her all the terrible things that his sisters did to him. But he was physically unable to. “Just go,” he said and closed the door in her face. 

That night, Keith sat with Allura in her room. She didn’t judge him for crying. Instead, she rubbed soothing circles on his back.

“I’ve done terrible things before, but this is the worse thing the curse has ever made me do.” Keith’s voice was watery with tears. He knew he didn’t deserve this. He could handle the closet and the humiliation, but this was the last straw. “I’ve got to do it.” Keith sat upright. “I’ve got to find Coran and force him to undo the curse.”

He wasn’t sure if he was so much as telling Allura or trying to give himself a pep talk. Was he really going to do this?

Allura put a hand on his shoulder. “You’re right.” Keith let out a breath he hadn’t known he was holding. “I’ve got something to show you.”

Keith followed Allura into her room and watched as she dug through one of her cabinets. She pulled out a large white book with golden edging and a circular pattern on the back cover. She fiddled with the corner as she explained. 

“I should have told you about this years ago, but I guess I was a little embarrassed.”

“You? Embarrassed? Embarrassed how?”

“Well, I’m not the world most talented fairy.” Here she goes again. She’s plenty talented if Keith has anything to say about it, and he will physically fight anyone who says otherwise. “Anyway. This book is kind of, how do I put this?” She flips the book to reveal a similar pattern as the back. Only this time… it has a face? “This book is my boyfriend.”

Keith’s eyes widened in shock. He obviously knew about magic, but he did not see this one coming. “Your boyfriend?” he asked.

“Nice to meet you, I’m Shiro,” the magic-mirror like face replied. He had a tuft of white hair and a scar across the bridge of his nose. Keith wondered how a magic mirror got a scar, but the hair he assumed was from stress.

“I’ve never seen anything like this,” Keith admits.

Allura hugs the book close to her. “I know. No one has, and I don’t want them to. They might take him away from me.” Allura wandered over to her bed to sit down and placed Shiro beside her. Keith sat with them. “It was an accident,” she explained, “I was just trying a spell to trim his hair, but clearly it didn’t go as planned.”

So he was a human turned into a book, Keith noted. That explained why he had a scar. 

Shiro gave her a small smile, “It’s not that bad. I mean, I can’t walk or do—anything really, but at least I know a lot more than I did before, being a book and all.”

Allura handed the book to Keith. “I want you to take him with you,” she told him.

Keith flipped through the pages, finding a sensory overload of random information. “What is all this?” he asked. 

“He’s knows everything,” Allura answered proudly. 

“Thanks, princess, but not everything,” Shiro corrected her, “If I did, I’d be a lot thicker.”

“Princess?” Keith looked at Allura expectantly. She didn’t seem to notice his sudden shift in interest. Instead, Shiro answered his confusion. 

“Oh, it’s just a nickname,” Shiro told him, “I’ve called her that since we met.”

“Right,” Keith said hesitantly. For some reason, he felt like there was more to it.

“Shiro can help you on your quest to find Coran.”

“Does that mean I’m finally getting out of here?” Shiro’s voice was joy filled until Allura growled angrily. “Not that I don’t love being with you twenty-four-seven,” he backpedals, laughing sheepishly, “it’s just nice to have some new scenery is all.”

Keith cleared his throat. “So, can Shiro show me anything about Coran?”

Allura took the book from Keith’s grasp. “Watch this.” She held the book out towards Keith, hands on both sides. “Show me Coran,” she says as she opens the book to a random page. Appearing on that page was a moving image of Coran at some shop. He spotted facial grooming supplies consuming the shelves and a sign that said “Gorgeous-Man Grooming Co.”

This was great. All Keith needed was the exact location, and he could find Coran in no time. “Which Gorgeous-Man Grooming Co.? They’re all over the kingdom,” Keith asked.

When Allura’s face dropped, Keith knew it wouldn’t be as easy as he had hoped. He sighed and waited for the bad news. “That’s the thing. He can only show you pictures.”

“What you see is what you get,” Shiro finished for her.

Just as Keith was about to give up hope, he noticed something. “What’s that through the window? Is that a crystal?”

Allura turned Shiro around, inspecting the page. “He must be in the Balmeran village,” she deduced.

Keith smirked. The thought of a curseless existence was right in front of him, and he felt invigorated.

“Well, Shiro, it looks like we’re going to the Balmeran village.”

That morning, Keith was long gone, leaving no trace of his whereabouts. The last thing he needed was Florona chasing after him and making him do more ridiculous stunts. 

“Shiro, can you show me a map of Altea’s forest.”

“Of course.”

Keith opened the book, revealing a high-quality map of the forest. As Keith observed it, he discovered a shortcut they could take. “It looks like if we head east towards Lion’s Rock, we can cut a day of our journey.” Before he could say or do anything else, Keith heard something. “What was that?”

“Something that probably wants to eat us,” Shiro offered.”

Keith was going to comment on how unlikely that was when he heard a cry for help. “Someone’s in trouble.” He rushed toward the sound to find a couple of humans tormenting an elf. The elf was pinned to a spinning wheel, and the humans were taking turns throwing knives, barely missing the elf in the process.

The elf was fairly big compared to the humans, and for elf standards, so it was a mystery as to how they had gotten him up on the wheel in the first place. But that was beside the point. 

The humans were an interesting pair. One was a girl with blonde locks, and the other was a guy. He had an on an aviator cap and goggles that reminded Keith of a bird.

“What do you think you’re doing to that poor elf?” Keith called out. 

“Oh, look who thinks he’s so tough.” The guy with the goggles sauntered over to Keith. He assumed his stance was supposed to be threatening. 

“I don’t want any trouble. Just let the elf go, and we can all go our separate ways.”

The girl came over and placed a hand on the guy’s shoulder. “Kick his ass, Rolo.”

So much for the easy way. As Rolo’s hand shot out to punch Keith in the face, Keith dodged. From the ground, he kicked Rolo’s legs out from under him, sending him tumbling.

“Yeah! Punch him in the face!” the elf unexpectedly called out to him. He did as he was ordered and got on top of Rolo and punched him right in the mouth, sending him into a daze. Keith rolled off of him. He had had enough.

The girl glared at him as she helped her friend off of his ass. “Let get out of here.”

Keith averted his attention to the elf, who was still stuck on the wheel. “I think I’m gonna puke,” the elf muttered.

“You can puke after I get you off this thing.” Keith hurried over to untie the elf’s swollen wrist from the wheel.

Keith realized his mistake too late and watched as gravity pulled the elf face first into the dirt. 

Keith winced. “Are you okay?” He knelt down beside him, unsure of where to place his hands. He opted for placing them on his knees.

“No, but don’t feel bad. I’d probably have done the same thing if I were in your position,” the elf replied. “I’m Hunk, by the way.”

Keith helped Hunk off the ground, “Keith Kogane. Nice to meet you.” The two shared an awkward moment of silence. “Well, if you’re okay, I have to be going. But good luck.” He sidestepped around Hunk, hoping to make up the lost time. 

“By yourself? You can’t walk in these woods on your own.”

“I think I can handle myself,” Keith insisted, though it wasn't enough.

“How about we get a bite to eat. I know a good place.”

“Thanks for the offers, but I’m kind of on a tight schedule.” Keith continued walking, hoping that maybe he'd let the subject go. 

“I get it, message received,” Hunk replied. And was Hunk guilt tripping him? Because it was working.

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Nothing. Just didn’t take you for the conceited type.”

“I'm not,” Keith defended, “and I wasn’t lying when I said I was on a tight schedule. Because I really am on a tight schedule.”

At the same time, Hunk said, “I just thought I’d give you some company, but that’s fine, I guess everyone’s just busy nowadays.”

Their argument was a jumbled mess.

“Okay, fine. I’ll go to dinner with you. Happy?”

“Yup, let's go!” Without another word, he was off.

————

“Hunk.”

No response.

“Hunk”

“Shh.”

“If this is your village why are we sneaking around?” Keith reluctantly huddled behind Hunk who was crouched behind some random barrel. 

Hunk with all seriousness said, “If they spot you, you’ll be sorry.”

Just then Keith heard a rustling coming from the woods. Oh no. This is what Hunk had warned him about. Hunk had dove behind the barrel, away from whatever was approaching, leaving Keith out in the open. Shit.

A cloaked figure emerged from the woods. Keith had to admit he was slightly confused. The figure pulled off their hood and a mess of auburn locks tumbled over their shoulders.

“Pidge?”

He looked back to Hunk, almost certain to find a face of relief. Quite the opposite, actually. Hunk looked so afraid that Keith thought he might combust right there.

“Hurry up and hide before they see you—”

A shrill voice from above cut him off. “Visitors!” they called.

Hunk sighed, and Keith looked up in shock. There was an elf smiling cheek-to-cheek which did not sit well with him. Something was definitely up. From behind him, Keith heard Hunk mumble something that sounded like a curse.

Well, that can’t be good.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And this is where the plot really starts to twist. *maniacal laugh* If you thought you knew Ella Enchanted, think again. The second biggest change I'm making has to be the inclusion of Pidge (since Rita isn't in most of the movie). I knew I wanted to include her when I came up with the idea of this fic, so this wasn't any last minute switch. And here she is. I am very excited to move forward with this piece, I just hope my shitty writing improves.


End file.
